Joshua Pagan made his homecoming a memorable affair. 

The unbeaten lightweight won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nicaragua’s Bryan Jimenez in their DAZN main event Tuesday from GLC Live at 20 Monroe in Grand Rapids. The judges scored the bout 99-91, 99-91, and 100-90 for Pagan, who headlined in his hometown for the first time.

Pagan displayed brilliant counterpunching all night long against Jimenez, who charged forward recklessly, despite some skill and athletic limitations compared to Pagan. Pagan landed a right hand that dazed the 28-year-old Jimenez in the second round, which excited a pro-Pagan crowd. Pagan would fight going forward, or boxing off his back foot. Both were equally effective as his speed and boxing ability frustrated Jimenez in the early rounds. 

In Round 4, Pagan looked to entertain his hometown fans, as he traded hooks with Jimenez. Pagan, 26, got the better of the exchanges, which drew raucous cheers from the partisan crowd. 

The dynamic of the fight began to change in Round 6. 

Pagan was cut over his left eye in the round. Jimenez kept up his pressure, and the bleeding continued for Pagan, who found himself on the ropes at the end of Jimenez’s combination punches. Pagan responded by staying on the outside and outboxing Jimenez in the following round, with the cut not being a factor. 

Jimenez stayed pesky, with a lot of pressure, but could never recapture the magic of the sixth round. Meanwhile, Pagan showed his superior skill and technique in the later rounds. Pagan continued to land the cleaner blows, but Jimenez’s will could not be questioned.

In the final two rounds, Pagan replicated his early success, forcing Jimenez to box with him, limiting the exchanges. It resulted in Jimenez falling to 18-3 (10 KOs), with all of his losses coming to undefeated fighters. 

For Pagan, it is the first win of the year, as he improved to 15-0 (5 KOs). 

Last year, Pagan won three fights with his 9th round, technical knockout victory over Maliek Montgomery in October being the most impressive. 

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.